toml@clara.UUCP (Tom Love) (03/21/90)
my oldest boy (3 yrs 7 mos in age) just discovered that my ST is
capable of fun things, as well as the boring stuff i usually do on it.
specifically, we've been playing with a couple of PD arcade games, and
a few rather abortive child-oriented PD/shareware applications.
i am interested in any recommendations anyone may have for software
for a child this age (or in the ages soon to come). i'm interested in
dorothy brumleve's 'kidware', but the little bit of it i've seen
seems to assume more or less that the child can read. the same is
true of the one or two commercial packages i've looked at (which,
coincidentally, were also horribly ugly hacks).
i don't have very easy access to a software store, so any commercial
works i buy will probably have to be upon recommendation. i am also
interested in PD/shareware recommendations - i have access to
panarthea and GEnie, the main problem is just knowing what to go
after.
note that i'm interested in both 'educational' software (numbers,
letters, etc) AND entertainment. he enjoys the hell out of
shoot-em-up arcade type games (yeah, i know, i got a lecture from my
mother in my dreams last night). his facility with a joystick or
mouse is pretty limited currently, but he's game for anything - likely
the simpler the better.
so, how about it, any recommendations (pro or con)??? go ahead and
post them here if you care to.
thanks in advance.
tom love
Xerox Engineering Design and Documentation Systems
607 Herndon Pkwy, Herndon, VA 22070 703-787-2027
ARPA: toml.herndon@xerox.com
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{sun|rlgvax|hadron}!sundc!ra!toml
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Disclaimer: they didn't do it, i did, so leave them alone.
--
tom love
Xerox Engineering Design and Documentation Systems
607 Herndon Pkwy, Herndon, VA 22070 703-787-2027rehrauer@apollo.HP.COM (Steve Rehrauer) (03/22/90)
In article <681@alpo.UUCP> toml@clara.UUCP (Tom Love) writes: >my oldest boy (3 yrs 7 mos in age) just discovered that my ST is >capable of fun things, as well as the boring stuff i usually do on it. >specifically, we've been playing with a couple of PD arcade games, and >a few rather abortive child-oriented PD/shareware applications. > >i am interested in any recommendations anyone may have for software >for a child this age (or in the ages soon to come). Hmmm, my son was about the same age when he became interested in my ST. I found that he had the most fun using a paintware program called DEGAS. (Not Elite; it's menus are too complex.) Although he couldn't actually read the menus, after a short time he could remember what buttons did what, and muddle through the rest -- pattern fills, circle drawing, and freehand doodling with fat brushes were just the cat's meow as far as he was concerned. I now think that sort of experimentation was probably about the best way to introduce him to using a mouse, understanding cause'n'effect of his actions on the computer, etc. Much less restrictive than software with notions of "correct responses". You might consider DEGAS or similar (now-considered-to-be) "primitive" paintware. But please post a summary of any recommendations you get via email, as my daughter is roughly at that age now, and I'd like to hear of any highly recommended packages for kids. -- >>"Aaiiyeeee! Death from above!"<< | Steve Rehrauer, rehrauer@apollo.hp.com "Flee, lest we be trod upon!" | The Apollo System Division of H.P.